Roses of Yesterday
by imhookedonaswan
Summary: With the birth of his daughter, Killian is stunned by her resemblance to someone he's nearly forgotten.


Killian felt like he was going to lose a few fingers thanks to Emma's vice grip on his hand, but to him that was a fair trade in order to finally see his and Emma's daughter that had been growing inside her for the past nine months.

"All right the baby's crowning, keep pushing Emma," Dr. Whale said from his position between her legs.

"You're almost there love," he whispered in her ear, placing a kiss on her forehead as another contraction ran through her. He watched as she grit her teeth and pushed with all her might. The beeping of the various monitors, the chatter of the nurses and Dr. Whale, and even Emma's exhausted panting all faded away when the first sounds of his newborn baby's cries reached his ears.

"It's a girl!" Dr. Whale said as he cradled the squirming baby in his hands, "Captain would you like to cut the cord?" Killian stood in shock for a moment, unsure of how to answer, but he felt Emma's fingers tighten around his own. He looked to her and she smiled and nodded for him to leave her side to go get the first look at their child.

Whale talked Killian through how to cut the cord but Killian barely paid attention, he was too focused on looking down at his little girl. He took in her ten fingers and ten toes, her pink skin, but it was her hair that fascinated him. Instead of being blonde like her mother's or dark like his own, the little strands were a dark red color that was oh so familiar to him. The nurses took her to get her cleaned up and swaddled before handing her to Emma. Killian thought his heart would burst out of his chest as he watched Emma's face light up as she saw her daughter for the first time.

"Hi," Emma sighed as she settled the newborn in her arms, her eyes darting all around her face, taking it all in. Killian gently sat down beside them, careful not to jostle the baby.

"Should I get the others so that they can meet our new addition?" he asked, extending a finger towards his daughter. Her tiny hand caught the tip of his finger and held on strong, much stronger than Killian thought a baby was capable of. He knew from that moment that she would want for nothing and he would do anything to make her happy.

"Not yet, I just want a few minutes alone with her, just the three of us." Emma answered, her own finger stroking the baby's chin. "She has your dimples," she observed.

"Aye, but she has your nose," he chuckled.

"I just wish I knew where the red hair came from, as far as I know no one in my family had red hair," Emma furrowed her brow.

"I think she got it from my mum," he whispered. Emma turned to look at him stunned, he never talked about his mother.

"Your mother had red hair?" she asked, desperate to know more.

"Aye, and I got her eyes," Killian added as he looked back towards the baby, she struggled to open her eyes, as if she wanted to show them what her eye color was.

"What was she like?"

"I don't- I don't really remember all that well. She passed when I was only a boy, about a year before my father took Liam and I on that fateful boat trip," Killian closed his eyes, not wanting to think about his father on this day. "I just remember little things."

"Like what?"

"Well she loved her garden, I think she had Liam and I out there weeding with her from the time I could walk. And she always smelled faintly of baked bread, I remember her joking about how she would never be able to wash that smell out of her skin," he smiled at the memory. "She had an amazing laugh."

"What was her name?"

"Rose, the funny thing was she hated roses. Never let them into her garden," he looked back to his daughter as she gurgled as if reminding her parents that she was still here.

"Well I think that's a great name," Emma said. "I've always liked flower names."

"Emma we don't have to, we already had a name picked out."

"BUt Rose suits her much better, plus I think she likes it. What do you think Rosie?" she asked the baby. The baby's hand found the front of Emma's hospital gown and gripped tight, pulling herself closer to her mother. She nodded her tiny head as she settled against Emma's chest.

"Well I can't say no to that," KIllian beamed.

"Now I think we have some people anxiously awaiting to meet her, are you ready?" Emma asked.

"Not yet, just a few more minutes love," Killian pressed a kiss to Emma's sweaty brow and stared down at his family.


End file.
